Babinda

The community is far older than the national figure, with seniors making up 23.1% of the population. In contrast, children under 15 are a little below the state and national averages at 17.0%.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national figure at 11.2%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by Italian and Irish.

English is the primary language for 83.4% of the area, and the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the national figure at 6.0%. Only 0.7% of residents speak little or no English.

Half of the population identifies as Christian, while 35.1% of residents report no religion. This figure is well below the state and national averages, though it has risen 16 points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than most similar areas, with only 10.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 38.6% of residents have completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical incomes are much lower than most areas, with the usual household earning $1,320 per week. This is well below the national figure of $1,746, though typical family incomes have risen by $476 since 2011.

Long-term health conditions affect 26.7% of the population, which is a little below the national figure. Arthritis is the most common reported condition at 9.7%.

Volunteer rates are a little above the national average at 16.4%. There is also a higher proportion of people providing unpaid care and doing housework than in most similar areas.

First Nations people make up 7.4% of the population, which is well above the national average. This group is far older than the national average, with a typical age of 35, and faces a much higher unemployment rate of 17.6%.

Family life is typical for the region, with 2.4 people per home. Most households are couples with children (52.0%) or couples without children (34.9%).

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 96.2% of all dwellings. Home ownership is very high, with 42.7% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%.

The area is highly car-dependent, as 57.7% of workers drive to work and 0% of residents live within walking distance of public transport. Very few homes, just 3.0%, have no motor vehicle.

The population is very stable, with only 28.7% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals have fallen since 2011 to 4.5%.

Full-time employment is a little above the national figure at 60.2%. The local workforce is concentrated in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, as well as health and education.

Babinda ranks low for overall advantage compared to other areas. This is driven by lower education and job skills, which are among the lowest for similar areas.

The area is exceptionally wet, with average annual rainfall of 4,108mm, far above the Queensland average. It also maintains high minimum temperatures year-round.

The town is considered car-dependent with a low walkability score of 1.1. Only 13.8% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed, far below the state average of 59.1%.